The Heavenly Juggler

Barnaby is a poor juggler who goes from town to town performing tricks to earn his daily bread. But when winter comes, the crowd disappears and so does his work. Cold, hungry, and alone, Barnaby is taken in by the friendly prior of a monastery. There the monks make beautiful works in dedication to the Virgin Mary: books, paintings, statues, and hymns—all are composed to honor her. But simple Barnaby is saddened that he has nothing to offer to the Virgin Mary—until one day, he realizes that he, too, has a special gift to honor the Virgin Mary and rushes to the cathedral to show her. What follows is a miracle for the pure of heart. Adapted from a beloved old French legend by award-winning author, Demi, this is the heartwarming story of how faith can lead us to use our talents in God’s service.

Demi is the award-winning author of over 300 bestselling children’s books, including Jesus, Mary, Saint Francis of Assisi, The Wisdom of Solomon, and The Psalms of King David. Her titles have sold over two million copies. The Empty Pot was selected by former First Lady Barbara Bush in 1990 as one of the books to be read on the ABC Radio Network Program Mrs. Bush’s Story Time, sponsored by the Children’s Literacy Initiative. Demi’s book Gandhi was named a New York Times Best Illustrated Book and received an Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Platinum Award. Major exhibitions of her work have been held in numerous museums in the U.S., including the Time/Life Gallery in New York, the Botolph Galleries in Boston and Cambridge, and the Los Angeles County Museum. Demi won a Fulbright Scholarship to India, and in addition she represented the U.S. at the First International Children’s Book Conference in Beijing, China, in 1992. She lives in Yarrow Point, WA.